The Indonesian Ministry of Human Rights has announced the creation of an independent fact-finding team to address alleged human rights violations involving pulp company PT Toba Pulp Lestari (PT TPL) and the Indigenous community of Sihaporas in North Sumatra.
Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai said the initiative followed a formal complaint from the Batak Protestant Christian Church (HKBP), which reported long-standing conflicts between PT TPL and local Indigenous residents in Sihaporas Village, Pematang Sidamanik District.
“The team will go down to the field to collect data, facts, and information,” Pigai told the media on Wednesday in Jakarta. He emphasized that the team’s work “is not to investigate human rights violations, as that authority belongs to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM).”
The fact-finding group will be led by Munafrizal Manan, Director General of Human Rights Services and Compliance, and will include members from civil society, Church representatives, and several government ministries — including forestry, industry, and environment.
Justice for Indigenous communities
Pigai said one of the team’s key goals is to “find a peaceful solution grounded in the principles of justice according to the local indigenous community.”
“The existence of any business or industrial entity must respect the interests of local people who preserve the ecosystem, customs, culture, and community welfare,” he said.
The minister criticized development models that neglect community welfare. “Do not think of it this way: build the factory first and think about the local people later. That is fundamentally wrong,” he said, adding that “justice must always be seen from the perspective of those who are in a weaker position.”
Pigai warned that continued human rights violations could harm Indonesia’s international standing. “If any indication of human rights violations is found, it would be serious because Indonesia could lose its chance to become a member of the OECD,” he cautioned.
Church complaint and ecological concerns
HKBP Ephorus Rev. Victor Tinambunan filed the initial complaint, citing “alleged human rights violations against the Sihaporas community in Simalungun.”
Rev. Tinambunan recalled that as early as May 2025, he had called for PT TPL’s closure, describing the appeal as “a moral responsibility” of HKBP, which counts 6.5 million members, most residing around Lake Toba.
He said PT TPL’s operations have led to “a series of ecological disasters such as flash floods, landslides, and pollution of water, soil, and air, as well as worsening climate change.”
While stressing that the Church “does not seek conflict” with PT TPL, Tinambunan said the company’s activities have resulted in “loss of lives and injuries, destruction of productive farmland, social divisions among residents, and a growing but unspoken anger driven by fear.”
Continuing challenges
Pigai acknowledged that “people in the concession areas face environmental, land, and social problems in seven regencies where PT TPL operates.” He noted that the company has yet to meet the Indigenous community’s demand for access to their traditional farmlands.
Findings from the new fact-finding team will guide the Ministry of Human Rights in recommending next steps and policy actions to other ministries.
“The Ministry of Human Rights will pursue the best possible path to ensure that the rights of the Sihaporas indigenous community are fulfilled and that they obtain justice,” Pigai said.
